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Tenant's Friend Charged in Queens Fire
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 7, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 7, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Back in July, a suspicious fire claimed two lives after it had spread from one home in Jamaica Queens to four others. The owner of the building where the fire originated had been having a dispute with tenants who had stopped paying their apartment's rent after two months. He eventually evicted them, but police suspected the tenants were involved with the fire. Now, the Queens DA's office has charged the friend of the tenants with arson and murder.
Monique Benn, a friend of tenants Desirea Johnson and Michelle Orsean, is suspected of setting fire to the house at 103-15 169th Street after Johnson and Orsean moved their belongings. She was seen outside the house, watching the fire, which killed an 83 year old neighbor and the neighbor's son's 46 year old girlfriend. It's unclear how authorities have linked her, and Benn's lawyer says that Benn denies the charges.
Tagged
arson
fire
murder
News: NYC
police
queens
queens da
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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